Mount Sinai Innovates to Absorb Evacuated Patients

Despite discharging many Mount Sinai patients early and cancelling scheduled elective surgeries, Mount Sinai on Monday had a relatively full census of about 85%. "We were actively discharging patients from the time we knew the storm would be headed to this region late last week. We knew the storm was coming and we knew we needed to clear beds to make sure patients got home safely or to their destinations."

DuPree advises other hospital leaders facing a disaster situation this way: It's "most important to ensure to put your patients first, not just the safety of patients in your own institution. In this type of crisis, it really means banding together with the entire community and working with other chief medical officers and hospital presidents to make it work, and really prioritize."

It's most important, she says, "to have your lines of responsibility and communication clear."

Cheryl Clark is senior quality editor and California correspondent for HealthLeaders Media. She is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists.